The Girl
by dexterbird
Summary: The Girl is unable to complete her training but still upholds her code.  RATED T FOR CHARACTER DEATHS.   K/N


The wind whispered across the plateau. Somewhere in the distance an owl hooted causing the young rider of a roan gelding to startle, the figure Swore loudly using words that would have made even the hardiest Guardsmen proud. The moon shone low in the western side of the sky, it would be morning soon. The rider dismounted to give the gelding a rest, together rider and horse looked at the moon. The gelding nuzzled his owners face, accidentally knocking of the hood. Sharp, feminine features where thrown into relief by the moons pale light. " Peachblossom." it's rider admonished, her strong noble voice seeming out of place in the quiet night. Peachblossom snorted and trotted over to the small stream to drink. The Girl walked over to the tree line, clicking her tongue, she summoned her horse before stepping into the Dark of the forest.

It was not long before the Girl and her horse happened across a small Space of clear ground, it was too small to be a clearing, that was suitable to pitch her tent in. The girl hurriedly brushed down her gelding and hobbled him near a patch of grass. Peachblossom looked at his owner reproachfully as though to say ' what? Do you still not trust me?' his owner snorted "No." The Girl looked up at the sky - it wouldn't rain tonight - and spread her bedding out under the tree.

As The Girl snuggled into the warmth of her makeshift bed she thought about home for the first time since she left, The rolling hills and green grass meadows of Mindelan, the man - the only thing that stood between her and her dream, The palace in Corus, the Capital. The Girl allowed only one tear to escape before her dreams swallowed her.

The Girl did not sleep well her dreams where plagued by visions of home, anger and disappointment and The Man. The Girl woke with a start_ I hope they mobbed him_ she thought vehemently_ I hope you hurt him _she thought to her yearmates. She bit her lip as a wave of remorse over took her. The Girl shook her head trying to rid herself of unwanted memories. The last thing she heard as she went to sleep was a wolf howling at the blue moon.

A horse's terrified whinny shattered the silence of the forest. The Girl spurred Peachblossom into a gallop and broke through the cover of the trees. The Girl scanned the clearing for the distressed animal and spotted it, dead now, on the other side of the clearing, over a hundred metres away. Next to the corpse was a merchant desperately defending himself against two bandits.

Peachblossom swiftly bore down upon the bandits and sent one flying with a kick to the head. The girl unsheathed her sword and sent a half crescent strike at the kicked Bandits neck, the bandit parried and the girl followed through with another half crescent strike on the opposite side of his body, this time though her blade found it's mark. She ended his life with a mercy stroke. Never had The Girl been more glad of the piggy back fight drills at the palace, without them she surely would have been unhorsed. Looking around for the merchant she found that he wasn't doing so well, unhorsed and disarmed he was backing slowly towards the shade of the trees. The bandit smelling a kill advanced with a wolf like grin.

A low growl ripped up The Girls throat as she turned towards the last bandit, A merciless look upon her face, eyes glowing phosphorescent under the light of the blue moon and a bloodthirsty twist to her wolfish grin. The girl saw the bandit turn, saw the death of his counter part register on his face, saw the murder rise up in his eyes as he turned towards her.

For the first time that night The Girl felt a cold ball of fear settle in her stomach. The fear was quickly eliminated by the battle rage as it coursed through her veins. She sent a mocking look at the bandit and saluted him ironically. The bandits lip curled and he started towards The Girl. The Girl dismounted Peachblossom reluctantly, she would prefer his height advantage but she couldn't risk injuring him in this fight. The girl began with the same sequence that had been so effective on the other bandit but the bandit seemed to be expecting this as he swiftly parried then stabbed, The Girl danced back a step avoiding impalement on the man's blade. Blows fell upon The Girl like rain but she adeptly blocked and avoided all his attempts, the man was strong, but had no skill with the blade.

As The Girl started her own attack the bandit folded beneath the onslaught. The Girl slid her blade down towards the bandits hilt twining her sword around his like a metal snake and with a complex twist - one that she had spent hours perfecting, she disarmed him.

The bandit knelt, defeated, on the ground with his hands above his head. The girl nodded and turned towards Peachblossom to retrieve rope so she could bind his wrists and ankles. A sudden spike in pain dully registered in her mind, but she hardly noticed. The girl felt as though she moved in slow motion, drawing her belt knife she threw it at the bandit. It spun, three times, in the air before piercing the bandits neck transfixing him to the tree behind.

With a gasp The Girl slid to the ground, she grasped the hilt of the stiletto blade embedded in her shoulder. The Girls breaths came in pants and gasps as she struggled to stay away from the pit that was threatening to overcome her. She heard the merchant move towards Peachblossom and grab his rein, however as the merchant tried to walk away from his owner the horse galloped off with the merchant fluttering behind like a piece of silk ribbon. The Girl could feel her life's-blood pouring out of her shoulder. She closed her eyes against the sudden pain that was rising above her like a wave, the wave broke and she was almost gone. A Shuffling presence at her side alerted her to Peachblossom's presence. "thank you." _thank you_.

A horn sounded close by - a signal that all squires knew well. There was a wounded civilian. Neal clucked his tongue at his horse and caught up to the Lord Wyldon as they broke into the clearing. At the sight of a roan gelding anxiously nuzzling a prone female form Neal spurred his horse into a gallop. He absently patted Peachblossom, then yelped as the horse bit him " Not now.".

Neal pulled off the cloak around the girls neck and arranged it as a pillow under her head, the girls filthy, bloodstained tunic was revealed to the rest of the Pages and Squires who gasped as the colors and emblem of fief Mindelan where revealed. "not Keladry of Mindelan?" breathed the training master. The Man closed his eyes - he had failed.

Neal closed his eyes, appearing to concentrate very hard. The emerald green glow of his gift lit up the air around his clasped fists, Neal raised his hands above his head and brought his hands down with a yell upon Kel's chest. The veins in Kel's body lit with green fire, but nothing changed. Neal repeated the process three more times and prepared himself for a forth,somewhere he knew that if he did this he would do nothing more, ever again. To Neal this wasn't important - he couldn't Live without this girl in his life. This girl he had come to love in the five years since he had met her. With tears in his eyes Neal gathered himself and put the last vestiges of his energy into this girls body, and with her name on his lips he departed this realm for the Black Realms. As Neal took one final look at the scene below him, he became aware of a presence beside him and together hand in hand the last son of Duke Baird of Queenscove and his love, the first known female page in over a century stepped towards their next great adventure.

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I was going to end it when Kel died - but hey. Why not?

Anyway R&R and thanks for reading :D


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